Steering wheel for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A steering wheel for a vehicle comprising a rim, spokes and a hub, wherein the rim comprises a plurality of separately made metallic sections each of which is bent inwards at its ends to form spoke parts.

United States Patent 1191 Stent July 8, 1975 i5 1 STEERING WHEEL FORVEHICLES 3,714,844 2/1973 Tsuda 74/552 I 3,738,885 6/l973 LeCompte74/552 X [751 lnvenm" g 095,040 4/1935 Herbolsheimer 74/552 x ng an [73]Assignee: Creators Limited, England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPUCATIONS 3l8,l4 6 9 4 74 552 221 Filed: Feb. 20, 1974 6 H 3 My I [21] Appl' 4443Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Assistant Examiner-F. D. Shoemaker 3 FordsAppncauon p i m Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Larson, Taylor and Hinds Feb.2], i973 United Kingdom 8395/73 52 us. c1. 74/552; 74/552 [57] 4ABSTRACT 362d A steering wheel for a vehicle comprising a rim, [58]Field M Search 7 /55 spokes and a hub, wherein the rim comprises aplurallty of separately made metallic sections each of which (56]Referenc s Cited is bent inwards at its ends to form spoke parts.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.925.887 9/1953 Wnner 74/552 7 9 Drawing guns o 0x \\Q o 0 Q// In srssan'vo WHEEL Foa VEHICLES wheels. the three elementsof rim, spokes'andlcentral' hub are usually'separate pieces which arewelded is;

gether toform the metal frame of the wheel, this frame It is an objectofthe present invention to simplify the manufacturing operation, e.g.,by reducing the number of components used and the number of weld-jointsinvolved at the critical points in the wheel.

According to the present invention there is provided a steering wheelfor a vehicle comprising a rim, spokes and a hub. wherein the rimcomprises a plurality of separately made metallic sections each ofwhichis bent inwards at its ends to form spoke parts.

The invention is illustrated merely by way of example in theaccompanying drawings in which.

FIG. l is a partial cross-section through a steering wheel according tothe present invention,

FIG. IA is a section of the wheel shown in FIG. I on the section line Iof FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 is a view of the-steering wheelof FIG. I taken in the directionof arrow 2 of that Figure.

FIG. 2A shows in perspective view a component of the steering wheel. I

FIG. 3 is a view of part of the steering wheel taken in the direction ofarrow III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a view of an alternative form of steering wheel but having thesame construction as that of FIGS. I to 3,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of part of a modified form of steeringwheel,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of a steeringwheel according to the present invention, and

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a detail of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 to 3, a steeringwheel comprises a rim If), two radial spokes II and I2 and a hub IS. Therim comprises two metal wires of cruciform cross-section I4, each wirehaving a semi-circular portion which forms part of the rim I0. Eachwireterminates in two substantially radial portions I40 and 14b and I5 andI5!) respectively, which form spoke parts. Thus the rim has twoseparately made metallic sections each of which is bent inwards at itsends to form spoke parts.

The hub I3 is formed from two sheet metal plates I6 and 17 of channelsection which fit one within the other. The plates I6, I7 as fittedtogether define channels 18, I9 which receive the ends Ma, 14!: and I51:and I5!) of the wires l4, 15 respectively. The plates I6, I? are rivetedtogether.

Riveted into a central aperture in the plates I6, 17 is a precisionsplined boss 26 by which the wheel may be attached to the steeringcolumn of a vehicle.

This invention relates to steering wheels for. vehicles. i *In thetraditional method'of manufacturing steering- At the radially outermostportions of the spokes 11, I2 the=wires l4, 15 approach closest to oneanother, i.e., at the locations 30,31 in FIG. 2. At these locations arepositioned,strengthening members of which one.

referenced 32, ap pears in'FIGIZ. This member 32 adds rigidityto thezrimby connecting the wires 14, 15 togetheratthislocation.

The assembly of wires and hub is placed within injection mould which isthen operated to form a covering around the wires but not the hub. Thecovering may be of polyvinyl chloride plastics material.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative form of the steering wheel illustrated inFIGS. Ho 3. The construction of this wheel is similar to that of FIGS. Ito 3 except that the rim comprises three wires 40-42 and has threespokes, the wire 40 being substantially circular in shape whilst thewires 41, 42 are substantial of quadrantal shape.

Clearly asmany spokes as is desired can be constructed using the sameprinciples of construction.

FIG. 5 shows part of an alternative form of wheel construction. Metalwires are used to provide the rim and-radial spokes of a wheel but inplace of the two plates I6, I7 of FIGS. 1 to 3 a single plate 50 isused. The hub 50 provides a central disc 51 from which extend twoopposing arms 52 (only one is shown) to provide a two spoke wheel.Clearly more arms can be pro vided according to the number of spokesrequired in the wheel. The hub 50 also provides two opposed flanges 53,54 on each arm 52 which are bent over the ends 14b, l5b of thespoke-providing wires. The flanges 53, 54 which effectively crimp thewires 14b, 15b are then welded or riveted to their respective arms 52,at the positions indicated by the crosses.

FIG. 6 shows a further construction available for forming vehiclesteering wheels according to the present invention. In place ofthe sheetmetal hubs of previous Figures, a hub provided by a steel drop forgingis used having splined boss 61. The forging 60 is provided with opposedflanges 62, 63 and opposed arms 64 of which only one is shown. Theforgoing is also provided with opposed inner flanges 65, 66 which definewith the outer flanges 62, 63 two channels 70, 71 in which the ends ofthe wires I4b and 15b are placed. The upper sections of the flanges 62,63 and 65, 66 are deformed by pressing or hammering in the manner shownin FIG. 6a so that the cruciform wire sections l4b. l5b are crimpedwithin the channels 70, 71 to secure the wire sections to the-hub.

The use of the steel drop forging avoids the need to connect the centralsplined boss by rivets as shown in- FIG. I. Furthermore, the use of thechannel sections to crimp the wire sections to the central steel dropforging avoids the welded or riveted flanges of FIGS. 5.

With all the wheels described above, a suitable covering is providedaround the rim and spokes to finish the wheel. Such a covering may be aninjection moulding of polyvinylchloride. Thus each section of the wheelsis a covered wire of generally C-shape.

The cross-section ofthe wires used is not critical but is preferablysubstantially rectangular to facilitate a gripping and fixing operationin relation to the hub. A cruciform section which gives a substantiallyrectangular to facilitate a gripping and fixing operation in relation tothe hub. A cruciform section which gives a substantially rectangularcross-section is preferred.

y 3 1 With the present invention there isprovide d a'steering wheelconstruction in which theuse of butt-welds at potentially criticallocations, e.g.. the radially outer and-radially inner ends of the wheelspokes, is avoided thereby providing a wheel'which has fewer points ofweakness in the event of accident-impact. hasfewer' weldingoperationsthan the conventional wheel. and

may have fewer components than a conventional wheel. I

lclaimr Y l. Asteering wheel for a vehicle and comprising a rimconnected to a hub by spokes,'wherein the rim comprises a plurality ofseparately made metallic sections each of which lsbent inwards towardsthe hub to provide spoke parts. characterized in that the hub is metaland includes oppositely extending radial arms each provided withlongitudinally extending flanges rim has three 'sections'one of whichcomprises a semij circular rim portion with inwardly bent radialportions forming spoke parts whilsteach'of the other two sectionsis'quadranted'havingi inwardly bent radial portions which form spoke partsat right angles to one another;-. A 7 S. A steering'wheel according toclaim 1 wherein the hub comprises two plates'of channel-section onelying within therother to define channels which extend radially of thehub,.the innerends of the spoke parts of the sections being secured tothe hub within the-channels.

6. A steering wheel according to claim I, said flanges definingchannels. each metallic rim section is a covered wire of cruciformcross-section. the inner ends of I the spoke parts lie in the channels,and the hub flanges are crimped over the inner ends of the spoke partsto secure the metallic rim section to the hub.

7. A steering wheel for a vehicle and comprising a rim connected to ahub by spokes, wherein the rim comprises a plurality of separately mademetallic sec-' tions, each of which is bent inwards towards the hub toform spoke parts, wherein the hub comprises two plates ofchannel-section. one lying within the other to define channels whichextend radially of the hub, the inner ends of the spoke parts oithesections being secured to the hub within the channels.

* i i i i

1. A steering wheel for a vehicle and comprising a rim connected to ahub by Spokes, wherein the rim comprises a plurality of separately mademetallic sections each of which is bent inwards towards the hub toprovide spoke parts, characterized in that the hub is metal and includesoppositely extending radial arms each provided with longitudinallyextending flanges which are bent over in opposite directions to grip theinner ends of the spoke parts of each section.
 2. A steering wheelaccording to claim 1 wherein each of the metallic sections is a coveredwire of generally C-shape.
 3. A steering wheel according to claim 2wherein the rim has two sections each of which comprises a semi-circularrim portion with inwardly bent radial portions forming the spoke parts.4. A steering wheel according to claim 2 wherein the rim has threesections one of which comprises a semi-circular rim portion withinwardly bent radial portions forming spoke parts whilst each of theother two sections is quadranted having inwardly bent radial portionswhich form spoke parts at right angles to one another.
 5. A steeringwheel according to claim 1 wherein the hub comprises two plates ofchannel-section one lying within the other to define channels whichextend radially of the hub, the inner ends of the spoke parts of thesections being secured to the hub within the channels.
 6. A steeringwheel according to claim 1, said flanges defining channels, eachmetallic rim section is a covered wire of cruciform cross-section, theinner ends of the spoke parts lie in the channels, and the hub flangesare crimped over the inner ends of the spoke parts to secure themetallic rim section to the hub.
 7. A steering wheel for a vehicle andcomprising a rim connected to a hub by spokes, wherein the rim comprisesa plurality of separately made metallic sections, each of which is bentinwards towards the hub to form spoke parts, wherein the hub comprisestwo plates of channel-section, one lying within the other to definechannels which extend radially of the hub, the inner ends of the spokeparts of the sections being secured to the hub within the channels.